Despite all efforts by the locust control department, locusts continue to devour fields after fields and advance further in the state. The swarms of locusts have dealt a severe damage to the crops up to the villages very close to Jodhpur. Moreover, the northern part of Nagaur district is in the grip of locust attack and the agriculture department on Thursday remained on its toes to save the crops that are ready to be harvested.

A helicopter carrying former Congress President Rahul Gandhi was forced to make an emergency landing in Rewari in Haryana after it failed to touch ground in New Delhi due to bad weather conditions. According to reports, Rahul Gandhi was returning to the national capital from Mahendragarh in Haryana after addressing a public rally in place of her mother Sonia Gandhi, who could not attend the event to a viral infection. It has also being learnt that the Congress leader later left for Delhi by road.

When contacted, Rewari Deputy Commissioner Yashendra Singh told PTI that Gandhi spent about 20 minutes at the college ground before proceeding to Delhi. “There was an emergency landing…. The helicopter landed safely at Rewari,” Singh said.

In response to speculations, sources close to Gandhi said his helicopter was forced to abort its landing in Delhi due to bad weather and not due to a technical snag. During his small halt at Rewari’s KLP College ground, Rahul Gandhi played cricket with children at the ground. This was Rahul Gandhi’s second poll rally in the state that goes to polls on October 21. Earlier he had addressed a public meeting in Nuh in Mewat region of the state.

According to official reports, as many as 60 flights at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi were delayed due to bad weather in the city. Several flights were diverted from the Delhi airport because of the bad weather conditions as several airlines issued advisories and updates about their flights.